Electric communication techniques include wireless communication networks for establishing one or a plurality of wireless communication links between a desired number of users or between users and network equipment, for the purpose of transferring information via these wireless communication links. Such wireless communication networks include cellular networks, wireless local area networks, wireless access networks, e.g. wireless local loop or self organizing wireless communication networks or ad hoc networks.
Location determination techniques specially adapted for the above mentioned wireless networks, including techniques that determine location, including the location of user equipment, wireless devices, mobile equipment, and network equipment utilizing GPS, GLONASS, radio wave triangulation, and other techniques.
The integration of location determination techniques into wireless devices to meet E911 requirements enabled the location of users of cellular telephone emergency calls to 911 to be determined so as to enhance the 911 service. While location based techniques were initially restricted to E911, location based services evolved from the more general availability of location determination techniques to providers of traditional services that proceeded to provide enhancements to their services based on location.
Navigation services, traditionally provided by stand alone devices that were disconnected from the above mentioned wireless communication networks, became available on user equipment and wireless devices. Such services traditionally included vast amounts of geographically encoded information derived from geographical information systems (GIS), including information such as the location of gas stations, museums, hospitals, or more generally points of interest, that could be brought up by users based on location. However while stand alone navigation devices had static information that could only be updated periodically from the GIS, user equipment and wireless devices could connect instantaneously to servers hosting more frequently updated, and therefore more accurate, GIS derived information, such as for instance using a navigation application, or a web browser and a search engine whereby a map is provided to assist the user to identify the location of points of interest.
Social networking services, such as Facebook™ and Twitter™, are becoming increasingly available on user equipment and wireless devices.
Location based services and social networking services are being combined on user equipment and wireless devices. Examples include Facebook™ places, Foursquare™, Yelp™, and Google™ Latitude, among others.